Weight Lifting (Off Period)

[Henry123]

(For those guys who are weight lifting.)

So how do you know when to go on "off period"? (After a month????)

And for how long do you stay on off period befor hitting the weights again?

[Illusional]

off period?? i'm guessing that you're not talking about a general recovery period, but do you mean stop training all together??

the only time that i don't exercise is when i take a vacation. i usually will try to fit in atleast one run, but if i miss it, i'm on vacation so i don't really care. this is the time when i get to get fat, then loose it all the next week at the gym.

raverboy

[Michael6084]

i really havent done what you call an "off-period" so much as i've lifted lighter wieghts than what i usually do when i want to get in condition.

to me, i've always found it hard to come out of what you call an "off-period"

1.) you need to get back into condition and you spend time getting back to the condition you used to be instead of achieving more strength

2.) it throws you off-track the routine. by the time you try to get back in, you feel a lot lazier and not up to it. at least for me.


i would just stick with it...your routine, but lift lighter weights and focus on cardio or something. even if it means just starting out walking a mile on the treadmill. that is, unless, you've already been doing that.

[Henry123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illusional

off period?? i'm guessing that you're not talking about a general recovery period, but do you mean stop training all together??
raverboy

Yeah I mean to stop training for awhile. From what little I understand if you weight train you'll eventually hit a point where muscle growth is very slow or it stops. I heard your suppose to stop for awhile (a week 2 weeks or more???) and then restart again. Your muscles are suppose to grow faster and bigger.
Maybe I heard wrong????

[Henry123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael6084

i really havent done what you call an "off-period" so much as i've lifted lighter wieghts than what i usually do when i want to get in condition.

to me, i've always found it hard to come out of what you call an "off-period"

1.) you need to get back into condition and you spend time getting back to the condition you used to be instead of achieving more strength

2.) it throws you off-track the routine. by the time you try to get back in, you feel a lot lazier and not up to it. at least for me.


i would just stick with it...your routine, but lift lighter weights and focus on cardio or something. even if it means just starting out walking a mile on the treadmill. that is, unless, you've already been doing that.

So lifting lighter weights will still stimulate muscle growth?

I guess I shouldnt break routine then. I think going back to weight training after the off period would be hard for me, so I better not do it then I dont want to take my chances.

[Michael6084]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henry123

So lifting lighter weights will still stimulate muscle growth?

I guess I shouldnt break routine then. I think going back to weight training after the off period would be hard for me, so I better not do it then I dont want to take my chances.

sure, but do lighter weights but with more reps in each set. muscle growth wont be as rapid as lifting heavy weights, but it will still keep you in relatively better condition than if you cut off lifting at all.

[Illusional]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henry123

Yeah I mean to stop training for awhile. From what little I understand if you weight train you'll eventually hit a point where muscle growth is very slow or it stops. I heard your suppose to stop for awhile (a week 2 weeks or more???) and then restart again. Your muscles are suppose to grow faster and bigger.
Maybe I heard wrong????

the plateau that you're talking about if when you keep training in the same manner and your muscles get used to the type of stimuli that it's exposed to. you have to keep tricking your muscles into developing different ways and the only way to do that is to keep changing your workout.

for example, during the weekdays i will tend to do a lot of fast sets with explosive movements because i am time constricted. on the weekends, i will tend to lift heavier weights but at a slower pace. and that's only one other example, the list is endless.

raverboy

[Henry123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illusional

the plateau that you're talking about if when you keep training in the same manner and your muscles get used to the type of stimuli that it's exposed to. you have to keep tricking your muscles into developing different ways and the only way to do that is to keep changing your workout.

for example, during the weekdays i will tend to do a lot of fast sets with explosive movements because i am time constricted. on the weekends, i will tend to lift heavier weights but at a slower pace. and that's only one other example, the list is endless.

raverboy

Gotcha thanks Illusional.